Seen The Scene

Buenos Aires, Argentina

We arrived in Buenos Aires with no more than 3 hours of sleep and a full days schedule ahead. We were greeted by a new promoter, Pablo, ah yes, Pablo the Promoter. I think I am getting the hang of this. Pablo was taking us to meet a man named Chino that was responsible for arranging this tour through South America. Chino was holding court at a nice restaurant on the river with uncorked bottles of wine awaiting us. It is 1 pm and the party has already begun. I think the reality of Argentina is that the party never ends. I ordered some "Pasta con Calabasas" (pumpkin stuffed pasta shells) and chugged some sparkling water cause I know how they roll here with the wine. Chino speaks very little English so Pablo acted as translator throughout our stay here. Chino told stories about some of the different bands that he has brought down to Argentina. He ended up having the most drama with Velvet Revolver but also had a great time with them as well. Next on his list is Motley Crue coming to Argentina in October for the first time ever. There are posters all over the city promoting this event and Chino is excited.

After lunch we headed to the Hotel NH City to check in and hopefully get a few minutes to rest. The hotel was beautiful and located in the heart of the historical district. All of the government buildings were at the end of the block situated around a small central park. There was a lot of activity in the busy hotel and as I was walking up to the desk I noticed someone that looked kinda familiar. I looked over again and wondered, "Where do I know that dude from?" I couldn't figure it out until I saw a tour laminate on another person that said "Boy George". What a crazy situation to see Boy George in Buenos Aires. I walked up and said "Hello Boy George". He stood up and said hi and told me that I looked like I was in a rock band. I told him LA Guns had some shows in town and mentioned I saw posters for his Culture Club Greatest Hits Tour In Lima, Peru. He told me he was pissed that it was promoted as Culture Club and Greatest Hits because it was neither. He said, "It's just Boy George". I laughed when he spoke of himself in the third person. It was a fun conversation because he was in a good mood, cracking jokes, making fun of himself and I think he was just happy to talk in English. His band came over and I got to meet some of the musicians and backround singers. George asked if we wanted to go to his show at the Luna Park Arena. Then he said, "If you don't wanna go I won't take offense, you will probably be bored to tears with the show anyway". I told him we would love to go and he waved his finger and a tour manager showed up and took down all of our names. We snapped a picture and I told him to "Break a leg!" We ended up getting there about 30 minutes into the set and saw the last hour. We had third row seats in this huge arena and enjoyed the show. There was a great mix of pop, reggae, rock, dance and soul showcased throughout the set. At one point he said he could not hear himself loud enough so he told the band to exit the stage and he performed a duet with the female backround singer. I was impressed with the way he just changed the entire set cause he didn't like how it was going. It turned out to be the highlight of the show. It was also really fun to see Tracii, Jeremy, Chad and Big AL at a Boy George concert. We definitely stood out in our black attire because everyone else was bright as butterflies. Tracii and Jeremy hung out in the very back and just chilled out while the rest of us enjoyed being up closer and checking out the show. We had passes to go backstage after the show but George was getting really bitchy on stage because of the poor stage monitor system so we thought it would be best to just roll out.

In Buenos Aires we ended up having three shows in 24 hours. We had an acoustic performance at a club just after midnight where Tracii and I played songs together. It was more of a meet and greet with the fans than anything else. The people coming to this particular show were not necessarily hardcore fans. I got the feeling that they were there to see an American rock band. Many have heard of Tracii and others saw Rockstar: INXS but mainly the crowd would listen intently and clap along with the beat of the songs. When we finished the short set we hang out, took pictures and signed autographs.

The next show this evening was at a unique place called ROXY that was situated underneath the subway. UNDERNEATH THE SUBWAY!!! A true underground club constructed with cement walls in a catacomb like structure. The club was huge and slit into two separate venues. One side was Rock n' Roll and the other side was a Discothèque playing dance music. When we walked into ROXY at 2:30 AM you could hear a mix of the opening rock band and the deep thumping bass of the dance club. There was no way to keep the sound divided and each venue was trying to out-boom the other. I was excited. This was a cool place to get to play and it made us feel very much a part of the city and a part of the scene. The way things work here is that many of the clubs open at 2 AM and close at 8 AM. At 8 AM the partiers head to the "Post Parties". Yes, a Post-Party that begins at 8 AM. Definitely an alternative lifestyle. By 3 AM, ROXY was slammed with a line down the block. I could not believe how many people were just beginning their evening in the wee hours of the morning.

We were escorted to a VIP section in the back of the club that had video games, fooze ball and nice couches to chill on. We hung there for a while and I got restless and decided to explore the place. There is no drinking age in Buenos Aires and most clubs allow anyone in over 18. The dance floor was filled with teenagers just going crazy and it seemed like everyone had a can of Power Energy Drink in their hand. There was so much intense energy going and I just stood in amazement. I have never seen this scene in the states. I was the only one in the dance club at that moment not dancing. It was wall-to-wall one huge dance floor. I started bending my knees and swaying my hips a bit to jump into the party but I just ended up feeling like a complete idiot. I felt like Steve Martin in the movie "The Jerk" when he was learning how to dance. This foot here, this foot there…… I wasn't up for dancing at the moment. I just wanted to witness. I walked around the perimeter of the club and stumbled upon the DJ booth. The DJ was a rockstar in his own regard with a mass of girls pushing their way up towards the booth. He was clad in total DJ gear with neon yellow and black hoodie, baseball cap tilted to the side, black sunglasses and perfectly manicured 5 o'clock shadow. He looked like his stage name would be "DJ Bumblebee". I wandered around for a few more minutes and decided to check out my dressing room.

I was surprised that there were a bunch of dudes with Hell Angels jackets hanging out in our dressing room. They knew the club owner somehow and I kicked back and hung out but their Spanish was spoken too quickly and with to much slang to understand. I just pretended they were talking about knives, motorcycles, loose woman and Jack Daniels!

I was wondering how I was going to get my energy level up for the show. We were real tired at this point and still had another hour and ½ before showtime. We ended up meeting with fans and just talking our way through the evening. By the time we hit the stage at 4:45 AM, the place was slammed packed from front to back and the energy in the room got me going. The crowd was really intensely involved in the show. They would dance, sing and sometimes even chant in-between our songs. It sounded a little like the chant "O-ley, O-ley, O-ley, O-ley…." but different. At one point in the show I saw a girl in the 4th or 5th row flicking me off out of the corner of my eye. I was a bit stunned and when I turned towards her to address her she then put both fingers in the air. I flexed my brow signifying "What's Up with that?" and she cinched her lips and scrunched her face and waved the birds at me. I kept on with the show but had to laugh thinking, "What the hell is that all about!" After the show we hung in the dressing room and then headed out to meet some fans. I saw the double bird girl and walked up and asked her "Porque (why)" and then held up my middle fingers. She said "No Se (I don't know)" We laughed and I once again thought "What the hell is that all about!'

At 6 or 6:30 AM we got the crue together and headed back to the hotel. We were absolutely beat and needed to get some sleep for the full day ahead.

We got a few hours of sleep and then the rest of the guys headed to Chino's house for a BBQ. I stayed back and caught a few more hours of sleep. It was nice to also take a walk thru the market and get a feel for the city of Buenos Aires. I stopped in a record store and bought a compilation of Tango music, the music of Argentina and then had some lunch

I have noticed a unique thing about Buenos Aires. Whenever the topic of eating comes up, everyone needs to lean in and tell you how amazing Argentinean meat is. They tell you before you order, "Beef de Argentina is the best", after you order they tell you, "You are going to love the Beef" and then when you are eating they ask you "Are you loving the Beef?" It so out of control that when I was placing my steak and fries order with the waiter at an outdoor café, a passerby gave me a thumbs up when he heard me order. This is getting out of control!

When everyone arrived back from the BBQ we were escorted to a club to do press and a meet-n-greet and then over to the big show at SUPERROCK in the evening. This club was packed and when we hit the stage I was surprised at the amazing LA Guns banner that was the backdrop. I had never seen it before. Between songs I asked Jeremy where the backdrop came from and he said "Chino made it for us!" We played for an hour and ½. I liked that the crowd drew big signs as requests for songs they wanted to hear. It felt like ½ rock show and the other 1/2 soccer game. We played everything they wanted to hear and even had some guests come up and perform with us. At one point I jumped into the crowd near the end of the show and I didn't expect the response I encountered. My black handkerchief I wear on my wrist, scarf I had hanging out of my back pocket and my Trees necklace were tore off me. Even my cheap red belt was broken at the buckle. When security pulled me back on stage Chad was laughing his ass off. He said "I tried to tell you, if they get the chance they are gonna steal your stuff!" I was a little stunned and my neck had a little slice in it where the necklace was yanked off. I never felt threatened in any way; it was more like piranhas nipping at your knees. During the last song I saw the different articles I had lost held up in the air. One guy had the handkerchief, another guy had the scarf and was waving it in the air and I saw that a girl had torn then necklace off of me. That cut still stings a bit.

After the show I had a conversation with Chino and he told me via translator that he was sending Pedro with us to Uruguay to make sure we caught the boat and everything went smoothly and safely for us. He knew we needed a translator so he gave us his. I was really amazed at how caring he was and how he was willing to send one of his crue with us to manage the 24 hour excursion. Chino is an amazing man and he treats us like family.

Monte Video, Uruguay

We arrived in Monte Video, Uruguay via boat at 11 AM. The people of Uruguay take Sunday very seriously. Every store is closed and I saw few people out and about. We jumped on a bus and took a ride to the hotel. One thing that I realized when we arrived is that it is winter here. I jumped of the boat in a tank top and a vest and needed a down jacket and a scarf. Tracii saw that I was freezing and dug thru his bag and gave me a long sleeved shirt and a jacket. When we were driving to the hotel we passed a cute old couple that was riding along in their horse drawn carriage. I felt like we were in a black and white movie. The sky is grey, the buildings are grey, the streets are dusty black and there is absolutely no movement going on. At one point we passed thru some activity at the local flea market. At the market they had everything that you need for life here in Monte Video; Fishing rod reels are 2 for $10, a rubber rain suit can be purchased in multi-colors, you can buy used car parts, old shoes and even live chickens. Good choices for my brothers and sisters upcoming birthdays!!! We arrived at the Hotel Los Angeles (fitting) and were all ready to get a few hours rest. We got done with the post show meet-n-greet responsibilities at 4 AM this morning and were headed to Uruguay at 7 AM. We are all a bit tired and cranky. We headed up to our rooms and Chad and I were sharing a "Suite", Jeremy shared his with Big Al and Tracii had his own. The hotel gave me the feeling like I was living in the board game CLUE. There were candlesticks, butlers, swords, debutante guests and a mahogany main bar. While we were checking in I felt like I should push on the walls and find the secret passage. The hotel workers were all very polite but had a suave creepiness to them. When I arrived at the 5th floor landing the maid came rushing past me and slipped into a large broom closet and closed the door. She is the FIRST suspect on my list!

Our room consisted of 3 narrow beds with hard mattresses and it was so cold you could see your breath. There was no thermostat, no available heater or anything else to do but jump under the mound of blankets on my bed. I think the blankets are as old as the capital building down the block. They smell musty but I'm happy that I have them. I flipped on the TV and the first thing that pops up is some foreign language show featuring a huge gorilla brushing a woman's long blonde hair and then it showed the same gorilla driving a car. I know that Chad and I were slaphappy from lack of sleep but we were rolling with laughter from the ridiculousness of it all. Chad said "Only in Uruguay!!"

We slept for an hour and ½ and got escorted to the venue for sound check. The place is a cool theatre in the heart of town and the promoters said they expect a good crowd. I am always a little nervous and wondering if people are going to show up and fill up these huge places but every show has been packed up so I need to just relax and enjoy the ride. Now we are headed for some dinner and I requested some local traditional food so I can get a taste of what life is like here. Dinner is always fun because you get a chance to meet the people responsible for bringing you into their country and it usually turns into the pre-party for the show with friends and random fans finding their way to the fiesta.

I'm interested in seeing the crowd reactions to American Rock N Roll in this extremely conservative town. I'll keep you posted…. Cheers!

Marty Casey

Lima, Peru

9/8/08 - 9/9/08

Sitting at Gate 110 at LAX Airport in Los Angeles waiting for my flight to Peru. Tracii, Jeremy and Chad flew out this morning at 8 AM. I got a lucky break and scored a direct flight later in the afternoon. I am mentally preparing for this 8 hour flight. It was getting close to flight time and I called Big Al and asked "Where You At?" He said, "I'm on the plane". Turns out I was at the wrong gate and needed to head over to Gate 108 for final boarding. The ticket agent at the gate was speaking over the mic, "Final boarding call for Martin" as I was running to the desk waving my boarding pass and I said "Casey". I have no idea why I was at the wrong gate but I was glad I didn't lose my seat.

I managed to get everything for this trip stuffed into one backpack. I didn't want to be checking a bag everyday and just paired down to what I absolutely needed. Got two pairs of pants, 3 vests, board shorts, a few undershirts, socks and underroos. That's it, that's all. Just wanted to keep it simple so I can get in as much time as possible to explore these cities. The most exciting part of this adventure is that I have absolutely no idea what to expect. I have been so busy the past few weeks that I have not gotten to invest any time checking in online and learning about these destinations. I like it this way. I'm just gonna wake up early and go to bed late and try to cram in as much South American experience as possible. Kinda like my overstuffed backpack.

On the plane I noticed that Big Al and I really stand out from the other passengers. We are the only two blonde headed, pale skinned dudes on the entire plane. Everyone else is darker complected and speaking what sounds like Spanish or Portuguese.

I realize that the best way to keep us airline passengers happy is to feed us or give us something to do every 30 minutes. First a drink, then a warm cloth to wash your hands, then lunch, then a movie, then coffee service, then some Six Flags style turbulence where the plane drops from underneath you and your stomach is in your throat. I can't stand turbulence! It's when I realize I have absolutely no control of the plane, and I have a hard time accepting that.

We landed in Lima, Peru after the long flight and then spent about an hour getting through immigration and customs. Turns out we are getting charged a "Tax" to bring some of our music gear into the country. We didn't question it, we just paid the piper. The tour promoter, Pablo, was at the airport to greet us when we arrived. I am determined to remember names on this trip so I said to myself "Pablo The Promoter". I think I can remember that! There were some fans with posters and they were jamming LA Guns songs. We took a few pictures and then Pablo told us that he had plans for us this evening and escorted us to a party that he had set-up near downtown Lima. We drove down the Pacific Coast with just enough moonlight to see the crashing waves. It's the beginning of spring here and everyone is in that change of mood where they are shedding their winter blues and diving into the spring of change. After a 30 minute drive we arrived at the party. There was a security guard that directed us up to the house. The place was really beautiful. Palm trees and a well-manicured garden sprawled across the front lot. We headed to this modern style living room with large couches arranged in a big square around a glass table in the center. There was all sorts of booze, a selection of South American wines, cigars and Peruvian cigarettes. A woman came out of the kitchen off the living room and asked what I would like to eat. I said "What do you got?" She said, "Carne Asada?" and I said, "That sounds great." I took a short tour of the place and was most impressed with the amazing artwork on nearly every wall. We ended the tour in the backyard area that was lit with Tiki torches around the pool and guesthouse. Pablo The Promoter was familiar with the Rockstar: INXS show and requested that I play "Trees" at the show. I told him that if he wanted to hear "Trees" then we would play it. We hung out and drank some Chilean red with Chad and discussed the upcoming tour. Pablo told us that the tour was going to be great, and we would have the time of our lives. He told us that he wished we were in Peru longer because everyone needs to go to Machu Pichu once in their lives. I'm putting that on my list of things I gotta do. We eventually headed back into the party and it was really hoppin'. I'm amazed there are this many people up in the middle of the night on a Monday. This town never sleeps. Out of nowhere my meal arrived, and I had completely forgotten about it. I had some sort of potato cheesy thing, Spanish rice and Carne Asada. I really was starving after the big travel day and the food was divine.

I finished my meal and then wandered thru some conversations. All of the conversations were in half Spanish and half English. I spoke my Spanglish and it was cool that some actual communication was happening with such limited fluent language. Everyone was excited to see the show tomorrow night, well actually TONIGHT! It was a wonderful introduction to this amazing adventure and time for us to head out and check into our hotel.

Chad and I woke up and headed over to the bazaar market a block from the hotel. We grabbed some local coffee. There is a Starbucks on every other corner here just like the US but Chad and I are determined to try unique things from each country we visit. We had our local caffeine and it was terrible. But we drank it and were happy to choke down the local mud. When in Rome! We found a stand with hand painted pictures of saints. All of the colors were really rich and vibrant. Chad immediately saw something that he wanted. I asked the store clerk "Cuánto cuesta?" The lady said a number but I couldn't figure out what the number translated to. So, I took out a pen and asked her to write it on a piece of paper. She wrote "55". I scribble bartered a slash across her "55" and wrote "40?" and she shook her head no. She took the notepad and wrote "50!" I grabbed the notepad one last time and wrote "2 picturas para $90!" She looked me in the eye, smiled and said "Si." A deal has been made, two paintings for $90. I looked around at the beautiful framed paintings and quickly saw one I liked. It was an angel whispering into a Saint's ear. I have not seen it before but I liked the colors and thought it would be nice to get some stuff up on my bare walls at home. I grabbed it off the wall and handed it to the woman. She dusted off the paintings and wrapped them for travel. She asked my name when she was writing up a receipt and I said "Martin". She said that the painting I had selected was of Saint Martin. She assumed I knew that and that was the reason for my selection. She noticed from my surprised reaction that I didn't know, and she laughed at the coincidence of it

Our transportation arrived to take us to lunch at La Carreta with a group of people the promoter wanted us to meet. We started of with some red wine from Argentina and it seems like every meal down here starts with a glass of some really great wine. There were no appetizers and after going thru handshakes and hugs with the large group, the feast arrived. The meal consisted of firewood heated metal platters of meat. Meat Meat and more Meat. We had two different types of steak, chicken, different preparations of pork, blood sausage and spicy sausage. I also tried a few things I have never had before. Pablo pointed to a particular piece of meat and asked if I had tried that yet. I said "no, not yet". Everyone was staring and said "Try it, we'll tell you what it is later". So I sliced off a decent piece and ate it. It had a potent taste and a rubbery texture that I was chewing on for a minute but to no avail. It was like chewing gum and I couldn't get it down. I grabbed my napkin and politely spat the BBQ bubble gum out. It was cow stomach! They all laughed and asked if I was ready to try the spicy chicken hearts. I passed and took a big gulp of wine to cleanse my palate of the aftertaste. After the carnivorous main course we were treated to Pisco Sour (honey, egg whites and Pisco Liquor which is the Peruvian Tequila), assorted desserts and ordered coffee but ended up taking off before it was served. We had to get "Yellow Fever" shots and then head over to soundcheck.

Driving here in Lima is absolutely brutal. Every street is construction and there are literally 7 cars scrunched across a four lane road. I felt like a Skiddle on the production line. The cars end up nearly nudging each other to find their space. A really aggressive car kept punching in on our right. This car was so close to us. Aggressively lunging forward and then quickly braking forcing their car to shimmy along like a wave trapped in a waterbed. I finally looked over at the neighboring driver that was so close I could nearly wrap my arm around their shoulder. I was stunned that this aggro driver was an elderly old lady with huge dark sunglasses. She never looked over, she punched it and nudged the front end of her car ahead of us and grabbed the pole position. I was impressed with her skills!

We arrived at sound check and it was one of the longest we have done. The sound crew here is very precise and taking every measure to get the sound perfected. There is already a fun vibe in the air. There is a huge video screen behind the stage and two projection screens off to the sides. There are approximately 30 disco balls hanging at different heights from the ceiling and spot lighting the dance floor. Yep, this is Peru and there is a dance floor. I wanna see people "Dance" to metal. This is going to be interesting to say the least. What a great place to start the adventure.

Marty Casey